Project Outline

Through the establishment of a national project, the Australian Bishops aim to:

support Australian parishes, schools, diocese, groups, movements and religious orders to participate successfully in international WYDs;

build upon the momentum generated by WYD 2008 and on-going WYD participation, to engage young people and their communities in the life of the Church;

ensure financial resources can be generated and managed effectively.

Key benefits of this collaborative approach can be seen in the regular communications and information sharing across the country, resource sharing and financial bargaining efforts of such a large movement of people. It works most effectively when all pilgrimage groups participate but do not affect group’s individual needs or desires.

This national approach requires collaboration across a number of bodies and organisations. This includes:

AYWD Committee;

ACBC Office for Youth;

Official Tour Operator;

Pilgrimage Coordinators

Through this collaboration the Church in Australia can:

Offer a supportive and coordinated approach to Australia’s participation in international World Youth Days;

Sustain a realistic operation, timetable and workload for the National WYD Committee;

Create transparency around required support and costs for Australia’s participation in International WYDs;

Increase the accountability of the Official Tour Operator for the ACBC and individual Diocese and Groups;

Be a self-funding project.

The WYD Project is a project of the Bishops Commission for Family, youth and Life (BCFYL) and is accountable to the Bishops Delegate for Youth. The ACBC Office for Youth oversees and manages the WYD Project, as an extension of the BCFYL. The Australian WYD Committee is an advisory body to the Office for Youth. In addition, the Official ACBC Tour Operator is selected through a rigorous expression of interest process for each international World Youth Day.